"And let us not forget that growing, harvesting and processing wood provides one of the most ecologically sustainable forms of employment," he said.

"As a land use option, growing trees for timber in the right landscapes is one of the more economically productive options."

However, Mr Helper said awareness of all this in the broader community was not what it should be.

"Some of the relevant carbon accounting tools are also in need of attention," he said. Mr Helper said wood products such as furniture and construction stored carbon in the longer term, while newsprint and packaging, even though shorter term, may be recycled or remain inert in rubbish tips.

"All wood and wood products ultimately have the potential to be used as carbon-neutral fuel, which can effectively offset (greenhouse) emissions," he said.

Mr Helper said wood and wood products should gain greater recognition as a sustainable building material of choice.

"In this regard, I am aware that some building codes discriminate against the use of timber, particularly that from native forests.

"This is something we will continue to work together with industry to address, because Victoria has perhaps one of the most effective forest management systems in the world," he said.

Mr Helper said Victoria's reserve system was now one of the most extensive in the developed world. VicForests, the State Government's commercial forestry arm, had just received Australian Forestry Standard certification and was regularly audited by the state's Environment Protection Authority.